Photos and Video by Russ Baldwin – Click on a picture to see a larger version.

Saturday’s perfect weather brought out the downtown crowds for Lamar’s Fall Festival. Vendors took advantage of the sunny day, while shoppers took advantage of the bargains offered along the sidewalks on Main Street and the added attractions on West Elm.

A crowd lined the streets on West Elm to view the shakes and shimmies of exotic, or commonly known, “belly dancers” display their routine. The dance troupe was brought in from Colorado Springs to entertain through the day. Farther up Main Street, the annual Road Jam at the Buzzard’s Roost had a slow start during the day, but the crowds continued to increase the closer the sun got to the horizon. Various bands, from rock to country to blues performed outdoors until the midnight hour, when the entertainment moved inside.

This past Saturday was a prelude to the next big event offered by the Lamar Chamber and Retail Trades Committee, the annual Oktoberfest at the Lamar Chamber of Commerce headquarters. Arts and crafts vendors, as well as food vendors and entertainment, will be featured through the day and evening on Saturday, October 1. This is the last official week of summer, with fall moving in on September 23. Vendors wanting information about Oktoberfest can contact the Lamar Chamber at 336-4379. The Holly Gateway Fair slips in between the events, with all their activities scheduled for this week, leading up to the parade this coming Saturday.